Piston for internal-combustion engines



Feb. 5, 1946. w. HowALD 2,394,179

PISTON FOR INTERNAL-COMBUSTION ENGINES w. HowALD Feb 5; 1946.

' PIsToN FOR INTERNAL* COMBUSTION ENGINES 2l Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed March 3l, 1944 Patented Eel). 5, 1946 UNITED PISTON FOR INTERNAL-COMBUSTION ENGINES Werner Howald, Zurich, Switzerland Application March 31, 1944, Serial No. 528,832 In Germany April 12, 1943 5 Claims.

This invention refers to improvements in or relating to pistons for internal combustion engines, especially for two-stroke internal combustion engines.

According to the present invention, the piston is attached to a connecting rod having a head provided with two concentric spherical bearing surfaces which are engaged respectively by two axially spaced concentric spherical bearing faces on the piston rod. rlhe spherical bearing face of the piston having the larger diameter is arranged on an integral ring member attached to the piston and the head on the connecting rod is provided with a non-circular circumference having two different diameters measured at right angles to each other. One of the last named diameters is smaller and the other is larger than the average diameter of the opening in said ring member, whereby the connecting rod is adapted to be connected to the piston by introducing the head of the connecting rod into the opening of the ring member in the direction of the larger diameter portion of the head in an inclined position of the connecting rod. Thereafter the connecting rod is swung in alinement with the axis of the piston to-bring the spherical bearing surface of the head having the larger diameter of the two in engagement with the spherical bearing face of the ring member.

The nature and characteristic features of the invention will be readily understood from the following description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings forming part thereof, in which:

Fig. 1 shows a longitudinal section of a piston for Diesel engines.,

Fig. 2 shows inits righthand part a bottom view of the piston according to Figure l whereby the connecting rod is sectioned, and in its lefthand part a supporting plate also in a bottom view.

Fig. 1 shows a slightly modified form of construction of the piston shown in Figure 1.

Fig. 3 illustrates the manner in which the head of the connecting rod is inserted into the bearing.

Fig. 4 is a sectional view in the plane indicated by the line 4-4 in Fig. 3. 1

Fig. l5 illustrates the connecting rod in its operative position within the bearing, and

Fig. 6 is a view of the bearing and the piston rod taken at 90 from the position shown in Fig 5.

In the embodiment described in the following description and shown in the drawings I designates the piston and 2 the connecting rod. Piston I slides in a cooled cylinder which has, however,

not been represented in the drawings. Piston I may also slide in a sleeve valve performing an axial movement combined with an oscillating movement about the cylinder axis, the said sleeve valve controlling the inlet and the outlet ports of the cylinder. In this case the piston moves entirely or partially in the sleeve valve.

The piston shown in the Figures 1 and 2 consists of a top plate A, a supporting plate B adapted to conduct-off heat from the top plate A, a ball-shaped head C, a resilient packing ring Q which is radially movable on its seat, a piston sleeve'D, E, piston rings F and f1 conducting-off heat from D, oil rings G and bolts K securing the said parts to the central projection A1.

Top plate A is provided Vwith a central projection A1 projecting into a central bore B1 of the supporting plate B. A spring J acts on the said central projection and presses top plate A on supporting plate B and flange D1 of the piston sleeve. Plate B which supports the top plate A and conducts off heat from the same is supported and centered by the ball-shaped head C at C1. The lower part E of the piston body is centered and supported by means of a radial projection E1 and supporting arm Ez in the bearing surface C2 of head C. The radial projection E1 of the piston body E is also provided with a ball shaped bearing E3 for the connecting rod, the surfaces E3 and C being concentric. The cylindrical surface E5 of the piston body E centers the upper piston sleeve D. The latter is furthermore centered by its radially projecting flange D1 which is guided by the cylindrical surface B2 of the supporting plate B. Flange D1 is clamped between the plates A and B by spring J. The cavity Aa of top plate A forms the major part of the combustion chamber. Top plate A is furthermore provided with a recess Az containing the L-shaped packing ring Q which is movable in radial direction.

It may be gathered from Figure 1 that the supporting surface E3 and the projections E1 and E2 together with that part E of the piston body containing the rings G forms an extremely rigid supporting web in the piston.

VIn the upper part of the piston the flange D1 of the piston sleeve forms an equally rigid support web. The same is maintained in its place by supporting plate B. Plate B is centered by bearing surface C1 without any play and it centers again at B2 the upper supporting flange D1.

As shown in Figure 1 the sleeve D of which the medium part is of cylindrical shape is self-contained, that is the same is not supported at any point from flange D1 to the lower flange E1 and it is centered on the cylindrical part E5 of the latter with slight drive lit. Preferably the lower flange E1 is provided with a'lowermost, unsupported projection E6 which is shown in Figure 1 in dash-and-dot lines. The piston ring Q sits on flange D1 and is movable in axial direction. Ring Q is preferably resilient and formedas a part of flange D1. The" running surfaces of the piston parts D and Ee, which are resilient in radial direction are, beginning with their ends where they rest on the rigid supporting anges towardstheir medium part of a conical shape in such; a

way, that sleeve D contacts with the working cylinder only along its middle part. Similarly part E6 bears against the working cylinderf or against the sleeve valve only with its outward end. As is shown in Figure i these parts of the piston which take up the guiding forces of` the p'istonmay` be given any desired wall thickness. Of course theresiliency or the` sleeve D varies according. to the thickness of its walls. Inl the modification representedirr Figurev l' sleeve- D,

which is resilient in, radial direction, forms oneY as to allow an efficient conducting-0E. of heat.

On the other hand rings F are arranged in radialg-roovesofsupporting plateB. These ringsl have very little play in axialA direction and their play in radial direction` is limited in such a way that they resiliently bear against sleevefD and follow every radial movement-0f thesame'. When supporting plate BY is made; of an aluminiumor electron-alloy, and when the slottedrings F are dirnensi'onedy so that theiri ends on both sides` of the slots contact at maximum` working temperature,and when atthev same time the rings bear radially against sleeve D, an efficient ilow of heat from the supporting plate vB .to the sleeve Eris guaranteed. Preferably the rings F are made of a light; metal alloy. l Y

Asis shown inthe Figures l-andl a thinr layer D2 of abearingmetal, for instance a 10% tinI bronze alloy isapplied to the sleeve D so as to ensure perfect; runing qualities ofthe piston in the cylinder or in theV sleeve valve. The said bearing metal is applied to the sleeve D in molten condition so as to obtain a metallic Xa-tion on theA sleeve. Instead of. providing the said layer ofV bearing metal the entire-sleeve D may be made of. c ast iron withl good running qualities. The coeiiicient of heat elongation of. the materialused to this end is preferably smaller thanl that ofA theA y mentionedlow radial play of sleeve D isfautomatically attained with anythermal-lcad onY the piston. When the said thermal load is small thev heat is stored up in the AsleeveD until itsternperature has risen to such an extent that its radial play sinks to the mentioned low value, eventually to zero mm. whereupon the heat is led 'off to the cylinder wall. Even when under full load the sleeve D would likely extend some .01 mm. more than it is able to do in the cylinder, there occurs no corrosion nor any abnormal wear, as thisv deformation lies withinxtheelastic defor mation of' thev` sleeve according'A to thisl invention and does not produce too high pressures on the cylinder Wall. The described sleeve D which is resilient in radial direction assumes exactly the shape of the cylinder wall or of the sleeve valve if the latter is deformed by hea-t. As a tight fitting of the sleeve D according to this invention may bereadilyobtained with any thermal load onthe'piston the same may take up much higher loads than a usual piston, for instance than a light metal piston and the number of piston rings sliding on the cylinder wall or on the sleevev valve may beconsiderably 1ieduced, y or they. may en.- tirely be omitted.

When the piston is working the radial. pressure is a maximum Where the conical parts and. the cylindrical part ofY the piston body meet and it is a minimum in. themiddle part of sleeve D and` at the free end of. Es'. At the same parts of the piston the wear is a maximum and. a minimum respectively. After very few hours of running the piston shows an eii'icient lubricating lin. and from this moment wear is reduced to a minimum, especially if sucheJ piston isI mounted into a cyl-` inder provided with a sleeve valveperformingan oscillating movement about the piston axis, because in this casethe piston driven. by the sleeve valve rotates slowly. about itsown axis, whereby wear is distributed. on the entire piston circum-. ference.

It is also advantageous if the. di-ametersof the sleeve D and of the running surfaces of the cylinder or of the sleeve valve areV chosenv in such a vway that at working temperature they run the one within the other with playfree fitting. This feature is described and protected by my United. States Patents 2,053.0;889. and 2,199,314.

Asmay be gathered from Fgurel the, described construction of the piston. allows avery advantageous form of the. topplate A. The same is provided with an annular cavity which is very rigid with respect to torsion and' bending stresses. The central part ofthe. top plate has. a depression which again forms the combustion. chamber.. Preferably the top plate A rests only with its parts which lie. in the neighbourhood ofjthe. said collar on the support plate and the. ilange D1 respectively. The width of this bearing surface is such, that the temperature ofthe. top plate onA its top` side adj-oiningrthe combustion chamberis 5001130 700 C; Il" the temperature of.' the said top side of the top plate rises to too high a tem.- peratura sodiumis lled into the hollow space yin the top plate whereby `an Lincreasedquantity f of heat is carried ofl" to the'co'oled Sideof the top plete- Ten plate depressed o n the Yframes D1 and the support-'plate B byjtlrecombustion pres-V sure whereby an eii'icient carrying-votil off heat and a tight packing isensured.` 'Inthecentral part of the'piston thereis a lit'tlev space between top plateY A and supporting plate B so that plate A rests on plate Bon'lyafter having .performed a certain elastic deflection. Thel'saidispa'cejmaybe dimensioned in such away that' top plateests on plate B only whenjmaxmum elastic deection occurs. .This'eonstruction protects the( central part of'thetop plate from t'oo liigh'str'es'sesl due tO thermal and mechanical stresses. The rings f1 ensure a perfect conducting-oil of the heat from the central part of the top plate to the supporting plate B in spite of the constant movement of the central part of the top plate with respect to the supporting plate under the iniiuence of the pulsating forces. As the rings f1 conduct-oil the heat from the top plate to the supporting plate on the shortest possible way spring J is protected from being heated to too high a temperature. Manufacturing, mounting and the choice of the material for the rings f1 is done in the same way as described with respect to the rings F. As the rings f1 constantly move in the central bore Bi of the supporting plate B they should further be made of a material with good running qualities on the material used for the said supporting plate. The rings fr may or may not be slotted. If the hollow collar of the top plate should tend to rotate, one of the bearing surfaces, either the bottom side of the top plate or the top side of the part D1 may be slightly convex. Both bearing surfaces may be slightly convex in the same direction but with different radiuses of curvature. Also in this case part D1 of the piston body is preferably made of hard metal or of gray-iron containing graphite or of a sintered metal containing graphite. The bottom part of the top plate A may be made resistent to wear by welding on its bearin-g surface hard metal, for instance the alloy known under the designation Stellit.

As is shown in the Figures l and 2 the inner edge E4 of the bearing E3 forms a circle which is concentric to the ball-shaped head C. The seat P for the head C formed in the connecting rod is provided with an inner and an outer concentric spherical surface P1 and P2 which is flattened somewhat on two opposite sides P3 (Fig. 4) in such a way that the outer edge of the seat P has, in analogy to an ellipse a smaller and a greater diameter h and H respectively (Fig. 2). The small h is somewhat smaller than the inner edge E4 of the seat E3 whereas the larger diameter H, which is directed in a direction perpendicular or nearly perpendicular to the plane in which the connecting rod 2 is swinging when the engine is working, is considerably greater than the diameter of the inner edge E4 of the bearing E3. Consequently there occurs a certain overlapping U of the bearing E3 andof the outer bearing surface P2 of the seat P which is shown in Figure 2 and Figure 5. It is obvious that the inner edge E4 of the bearing E3 must not necessarily be of an exactly circular shape and it must not necessarily be concentric.

Figures 3 and 4 illustrate the way in which the seat P is inserted into the bearing E3. Figure 3 shows the bearing E3 without the ballsha-ped head in longitudinal section. IIhe dashand-dotted lines represent the seat P as it is inserted in an inclined position with respect to the opening E4 of the bearing E3 in the direction of its greater diameter H into the bearing E3. After insertion into the bearing E3 it is turned into the position represented in drawn-out lines whereby the centre Z of the bearing E3 coincides with the centre of the outer seat P2 of the seat P. Figure 4 shows a section on line 4--4 of Fig. 3 through bearing and seat in the mentioned position. The dash-and-dotted line in Figure 4 shows the same section of the ball-shaped seat in the position represented in dash-and-dotted lines in Figure 3.

The working positionof the connecting rod 'ical surface of the bearing E3 as seen in Fig. 5

security in working,

shown in Figure 5 is obtained by swinging. the connecting rod represented in drawnout lines in Figure 3 into the axis of the piston about the centre Z. Figure 6 shows the connecting rod with the ball-shaped seat in side elevation whereby the bearing is sectioned. The dashand-dotted iigure shows connecting rod and ballshaped bearing with maximum deflection.

As shown in the gures the overlapping parts U of the surface Paof the seat P and of the sphertake up any stresses resulting when the centrifu- ,gal force of the piston is greater than the gas@ pressure in the combustion chamber. These forces act on the bearing not only in the direction 'of the piston axis but also in a radial direction, in

','the direction of the greater diameter H of the seat. The closed circularly formed bearing shown fin the iigures takes easily up the said stresses as i,it is extremely rigid and it thereby ensures a high As shown in the drawings and as described in ',the foregoing description the piston according to this invention is built up by central symmetrical parts with respect to the piston axis, the said `parts being even circular and concentric. In axial direction the said parts are inserted one into the other and thereby guided and centered. The bolts K which keep together the said parts are also central symmetrical with respect to the pis- "ton axis. The bearing Ea is formed as a highly stabile and rigid closed circular ring.

The described construction of the piston ensures a central symmetrical flow of heat into and through the piston the cooled cylinder wall`and also a maximum surface transmitting heat from the piston to the cylinder wall or to the sleeve j Valve.

Y In the upper dead centre there occurs an entirely central symmetrical flow of the stresses through the piston to the connecting rod. This allows very high temperatures and stresses and at the same time very small cross sections, that is a very eicient transmission of stresses.

What I claim is:

1. In combination with a piston and a connecting rod, a headon the connecting rod provided with two concentric spherical bearing surfaces, said piston having two axially spaced concentric spherical bearing faces engaging said two bearing faces on said piston rod head respectively, the spherical bearing face of the piston having the larger diameter being arranged on an integral ring member attached to said piston, said ring member having a circular opening concentric to the axis of the piston, the head on the connecting rod being provided with a non-circular circumference composed of circles having two different diameters measured at a right angle to each other, one of said diameters being smaller and the other being larger than the diameter of the opening in said ring member, whereby the connecting rod is adapted to be connected to the piston by introducing the head of the connecting rod into the opening of the ring member in the direction f the large diameter portion of the head in an inclined position of the connecting rod and thereafter swinging the latter in alinement with the axis of the piston to bring the spherical bearing surface of the head having the larger diameter of the two in engagement with the spherical bearing face of the ring member,

2. In combination with a piston and a connecting rod, a head on the connecting rod provided with two concentric spherical bearing surfaces,

Qsaidpiston having two axially spaced concentric Spherical vbearing faces engaging `said two bearing faces on Vsaid piston rod head respectively, the spherical bearing face "of the piston' having the larger diameter being -arranged on lan integral ring member attached to said piston, said ring member having a, circularopening concentric to the axis of the piston,'the head on the connecting rod being provided with a non-'circular circumference composedpof circles having two d-inerent diameters measured -at a right 'angle to each other,rone of said vdiameters being smaller-aand the other. being larger than the diameter of the opening insaid ring member, thel large diameter of said non-circular circumference ybeing ydisposed perpendicularly to the plane inwhich the vconnecting rod oscillates during normal operation of the piston, whereby the` connecting rod is adapted to 'be Vconnectedto the piston by introducing the head of the connecting rod into the opening of the ring member inthe direction'of the large diameter portion `of the head in' an inclined position of the connecting rod and thereafter swinging the Vlatter in alinement with the axis of the piston to bring the spherical bearing surface of the head having the larger diameter of the two in engagement with the spherical bearing face of the ring member.

3. A piston, connecting rod and :bearing structure for linternal combustion engines, comprising a piston body, a ball-shaped'bearing head therein, a connecting rod having a head provided with two concentric spherical bearing surfaces, one of whichengaging said bearing head, an annular lbearing vhaving a, spherical surface engaging the other spherical bearing surfacefof said connecting rod, said annular bearing being formed of asile integral ring provided with a circular opening which is concentric to the axis of the piston, the 'head' of the connecting .rod 4having said two spherical bearing surfaces thereon being provided with an approximately elliptical circumference, the small axis of said elliptical-circumference being smaller and its large axis ybeing substantially larger than the diameter fof 4the circular opening of said ring, :the large axisof said approximate'ly elliptical Yheadbeing disposed perpendicularlyto the plane in whichthe 'connecting rod swings-the head ofthe connecting'ro'd being adapted to Vbe introduced 'intothe opening of said ring in the direction ofthe large -axis of the said ellipse in an inclined lposition of theconnecting rod, whereupon by swinging the latter lin alinement with the piston axis the larger one of the two concentric bearing surfaces is caused to engagethe bearing surface of said ring. Y

v1i. VIn combination witha pistona'nd a connecting rod, a headion the lconnecting rod provided with two concentric spherical bearing surfaces, said piston having two axially spaced concentric spherical bearing faces engaging said two bearing faces-on said piston rod head respectively, the spherical bearing face of the piston having the larger diameter being arranged on an integral ring member attached to said piston, said ring member having an opening, the head on the conlnecting rod being provided with a non-circular circumference having two diierent diameters measured at a right angle to each other, one of said diameters being smaller and the other being @larger thanl the average diameter `of the opening `insaid ring member, whereby the connecting rod is adapted to be connected to the piston by introducing the head of the connecting rod into the opening of the ring member in the direction of the large diameter portion of the head in an inclined position of the connecting rod and thereafter swinging the latter in alinement with the axis of the piston to bring the spherical bearing surface 'of the head having the larger diameter of the two in engagement with the spherical bearing face of the ring member.

5.V In combination with a piston and a connecting rod, a hea'd on the connecting rod provided 'with two concentric spherical bearing surfaces, said piston having two axially spaced concentric spherical bearing faces engaging said two bearing faces on said piston rod head respectively, the spherical bearing face of the piston having the larger diameter being arranged on an integral ring member attached to said piston, said ring member having an opening, the head on the connecting rod being provided with a non-circular circumference having two 'different diameters 4measured at a right angle to-each other, one of said diameters being smaller and the other being larger than the average diameter of the opening in said ring member, the largediameter of said non-circular circumference being disposed perpendicularly tof' the plane in which the connecting rod oscillates dur-ing normal operation of the piston, whereby the connecting rod is adapted to be'connected tothe piston by introducing the head of the connecting rod into the opening of thering member in the direction of the large diameter portion of the head in an inclined positionof `the connecting rod and thereafter swinging the latter in alinement with the axis ofthe piston to bring the spherical bearing surface of the head having the larger diameter of the two in engagement with the spherical bearing face of the ring member.

WERNER HOWALD. 

